Server Installation

Setting up your Development Environment

NPM

• Install Node.JS on your system and then from a terminal window, initialise an NPM project.

  mkdir backplane-api
  cd backplane-api
  npm init -y
  npm i express dotenv @backplane-software/backplane-api
  

Setup Environment Variables

• Create .env file, and provide the following:

  NODE_ENV=development
  PORT=8000
  
  JWT_SECRET=<provide-key> // Make up your own secret, this is used as the salt to CryptB for password Hashing. e.g. MyS3cureP&!00word\*
  
  MONGO_URI=<provide-key>
  
  MAILSENDER_USERNAME=<your-username>
  MAILSENDER_PASSWORD=<provide-key>
  
  LOGTAIL_KEY=<provide-key>
  LOG_LEVEL=debug
  

MongoDB

• Backplane API Server uses MongoDB as the backend datastore. See Setting up MongoDB.

MailerSend

• MailerSend is used as an SMTP mailrelay, so that User Registration e-mails can be sent as well as approval request e-mails. Create an account here: MailerSend

LogTail

• /utils/logger.js is used as Middleware for logging purposes. It leverages LogTail, now known as Better Stack is used as a Log Repository. It’s free up to 1GB a month with 3-day retention. Create an account here: LogTail.

Create Index.js

• Create index.js file and copy the below into it.

  import express from "express";
  import dotenv from "dotenv";
  import backplane from "@backplane-software/backplane-api";
  
  // Load Environment Configuration
  dotenv.config();
  
  // Create Express Instance
  const app = express();
  
  // Initialise Backplane Server with Instance
  backplane(app);
  
  // Start REST API Server
  const port = process.env.PORT || 5001;
  app.listen(port, () =>
    console.log(`Backplane REST API Server started on port ${port}`)
  );
  

Update Package.json

• Add "type": "module" so the script can load ES modules.
• Add "server": "node index.js" to the scripts section. Be sure to separate with a ,.

Run API Server

npm run server to start the server on localhost port 8000.

Use curl http://localhost:8000 to confirm server is running. If successful you should see: Backplane REST API Server is ready.